Fresh from Alzheimer's Association AIM Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC, Vermonters head to Montpelier on April 9, 2019. Pictured: Jess Degrechie and Grace Gilbert Jones visited Senator Leahy's office. Courtesy photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Alzheimer’s Association Vermont Chapter recently joined more than 1,200 advocates from around the country in Washington, D.C. for the Alzheimer's Association AIM Advocacy Forum, the nation's premier advocacy event to raise awareness and increase legislative support for policies that will improve the lives of 5.8 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, including over 13,000 individuals and their 30,000 caregivers in Vermont.
Vermont advocates met with representatives from Senior Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I/D) and Congressman Peter Welch (D) to discuss the real-life impact of legislative policies focused on providing researchers, healthcare professionals, caregivers and individuals with the educational tools and resources necessary to meaningfully combat Alzheimer’s disease. “It was inspirational to join so many committed people on Capital Hill wearing purple, the Association's color of hope” stated Grace Gilbert-Davis, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Vermont Chapter. “Vermonters should take pride in knowing that our congressional delegates are steadfast in their commitment to supporting the work of the Alzheimer's Association."
Energized by their visits on Capitol Hill, local advocates will now descend on the Vermont Statehouse. The Vermont House of Representatives will approve a resolution proclaiming April 9, 2019 as Alzheimer’s Awareness and Advocacy Day. Douglas Cardin and his husband, Fred Silbernagel, of Burlington, Vermont will provide the morning’s devotional. They will share their personal story, as well as those of other advocates, who represent the face of Alzheimer’s in Vermont.
What: Alzheimer’s Awareness and Advocacy Day
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Where: Vermont State House, Montpelier
Schedule: 9am check-in
10am Devotional & Proclimation
11:30am invite only meeting with Lt. Gov David Zuckerman
“Vermont has the second oldest population in the country and the highest per-capita death rate due to Alzheimer’s in the nation” stated Gilbert-Davis. “Early detection of Alzheimer’s or related dementias is an essential step towards improving the health and well-being of all Vermonters. Our healthcare systems can and must prepare to effectively address this escalating crisis for those living with disease and their caregivers.”
The 2019 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report found that among both seniors and primary care physicians there is widespread understanding of the benefits of early detection of cognitive decline and the importance of brief cognitive assessments. In fact, 82 percent of seniors believe it is important to have their thinking and memory checked, and nearly all primary care physicians (94 percent) consider it important to assess all patients age 65 and older for cognitive impairment. However, only half of seniors are being assessed for thinking and memory issues, and much fewer (16%) receive routine assessments.
The 2019 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report also provided a look at the latest national and local statistics and information on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, mortality and morbidity, costs of care and caregiving.
Prevalence, Incidence and Mortality
• An estimated 5.8 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2019, including 200,000 under the age of 65.
• Of the estimated 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2019, 13,000 are Vermont residents.
• By 2025 — just six years from now — the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia is estimated to reach 7.1 million — an increase of 27 percent from the 5.6 million age 65 and older affected in 2019. Here in Vermont, the estimated number of individuals with Alzheimer’s will be 17,000.
• Barring the development of medical breakthroughs, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia may nearly triple from 5.6 million to 13.8 million by 2050.
• Two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer’s dementia (3.5 million) are women.
• Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and it is the fifth-leading cause of death for those age 65 and older. In Vermont, 370 died from Alzheimer’s in 2017, the most recent figure available.
• As the population of the U.S. ages, Alzheimer’s is becoming a more common cause of death.
Cost of Care
• Total national cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated at $290 billion (not including unpaid caregiving) in 2019, of which $195 billion is the cost to Medicare and Medicaid; out-of-pocket costs represent $63 billion of the total payments, while other costs total $32 billion.
• In Vermont, the report estimated total Medicaid costs for Americans with dementia age 65 and older is 2,200 for 2019. In the next six years, that figure is expected to increase 30.8% to NUMBER.
• Total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion in 2050 (in 2019 dollars).
• In 2018, the lifetime cost of care was greater for those with dementia than those without ($350,174 versus $192,575, respectively).
Caregiving
• More than 16 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
• In Vermont, there are 30,000 caregivers. In 2018, these caregivers provided 34,000,000 total hours of unpaid care, valued at $434,000,000.
• Caregivers in Vermont have $28,000,000 higher health care costs.
• Nearly half of all caregivers (48 percent) who provide help to older adults do so for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and one-third of dementia caregivers are daughters.
• Forty-one percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
• It is estimated that the U.S. has approximately half the number of certified geriatricians than it currently needs, and only 9 percent of nurse practitioners report having special expertise in gerontological care.
To learn more about 2019 Alzheimer’s Association facts & figures, please visit alz.org/facts. To register for Alzheimer’s Awareness and Advocacy Day, contact the Alzheimer’s Association Vermont Chapter at 802.316.3839.
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s ®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
Source: Williston, VT, April 4, 2019 – Alzheimer’s Association Vermont